1979 Datsun 280ZX

When Datsun introduced its 1979 model to the press, the joke of the meeting was that these cars would be competing head-on with Buick and BMW by Christmas—not because of a massive overhaul in the Japanese company’s marketing philosophy, but rather because of the plummeting value of the dollar relative to that of the yen. Datsun would not be building Buick-style cars; it would simply be offering its weight-watcher compacts at Buick prices.

Giving this 1979 Datsun 280ZX Coupe the go-juice from underneath the hood is a 2.8L SOHC 12-valve inline-6 engine. It is capable of churning out 135 horsepower and 144 lb.ft of torque out of the factory. However, this particular engine reportedly received new spark plugs, cables, injection system, regulator and fuel pump that might have improved the power figures.
A swing of the door to leap inside to an inviting very good condition interior, reveals 2 red colored cloth covered bucket seats all original. Comfortably seated, one can reach out to the original steering wheel, gearshift and gaze upon the clean original dash. The dash being a red, which shows a crack underneath the carpeted cover which is directly above the speedometer area.

The American iron muscle had plenty of power which is indisputable, but Datsun (soon to be Nissan) with their 280ZX series, had decent power for their size, but has a one up on the Americans handling! This was nowhere more evident in the class ranks of the SCCA, where the ZX’s were in the same class as the ponies. Down the straight it was the Americans, however they were quickly caught in the curves and out handled which made for interesting racing on all configurations of tracks.